Agenda

Tuesday, September 9

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Battelle Tours and Working Meetings

Join us for an exclusive tour of Battelle Headquarters to get a behind-the-scenes look at what makes this organization one the world’s leading scientific research institutions. Be sure to sign up during registration to reserve your spot.

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Registration and Lunch

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM

Keynote Address

PRESENTER: Matt Vaughan, President of Applied Science and Technology, Battelle

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Startup Network Pitch Presentations - First Round

Networking Break

Light refreshments and snacks will be provided.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Startup Network Pitch Presentations - Second Round

4:30 PM – 6:00 PM

Networking Event

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Welcome Reception at Battelle

Come enjoy an evening of great food and good company at Battelle—you'll have the opportunity to reconnect and build new relationships with colleagues!

Wednesday, September 10

8:00 AM – 8:45 AM

Light Breakfast with Refreshments

8:45 AM – 9:10 AM

Opening Remarks

9:10 AM – 9:50 AM

Keynote Address

9:50 AM – 11:20 AM

SESSION 1: Twenty Years of Changing Chemistry: What have we learned? Where do we need to go?

Over the last two decades, the green and sustainable chemistry field has grown and continues to evolve. This session will explore the changing landscape for green and sustainable chemistry and reflect on what we have learned as a community since Change Chemistry's (formerly GC3) first meeting in 2005. Session participants will discuss successes, challenges, and what needs to change to accelerate future growth. 

MODERATOR: Joel Tickner, Strategic Advisor, Change Chemistry

PRESENTERS:

• Darcy Prather, CEO, Kalion
• Mark Rossi, Senior Research Associate, UMass Lowell

11:20 AM – 11:40 AM

Networking Break

Light refreshments and snacks will be provided.

11:40 AM – 1:00 PM

SESSION 2: Measuring Progress: How do we know if we are moving the needle on sustainable chemistry? 

It is difficult to measure the impact of a particular policy or initiative, progress towards a goal, or industry transition readiness without clear metrics. While there have been a number of efforts to measure progress in advancing safe and sustainable chemistry at the molecular, process, and company levels, these have been sporadic and often do not allow comparability. This session will explore the types of metrics needed to measure success at the firm, corporate, and societal levels with a specific focus on sustainable chemistry growth metrics (as opposed to reductions in chemicals of concern). This ability and the need for these metrics to guide investment and portfolio management decisions will be highlighted. 

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Lunch

2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

SESSION 3: Scaling Sustainable Chemistries - Strategies and Roadmaps to Grow Adoption and Scale - Solvents Focused 

While there have been successful applications of sustainable chemistry, these have often been in smaller volume, niche applications. During this session, participants will discuss the strategies and tools needed to grow scale and adoption of sustainable chemistry once innovations have been identified. We will discuss paths to sustainable chemistry innovation and ensuring successful adoption and scale. From contract R&D to Internal R&D, collaboration with academia and international exchange- what are the factors in success? What works and what does not? What collaborations, policies, investments, and strategic roadmaps are needed? How can Change Chemistry convene value chains to drive growth?

MODERATOR: Rui Resendes, Director of Partnerships & Business Development, Change Chemistry

PRESENTERS:

• Jeffrey Whitford, Head of Sustainability & Social Business Innovation, MilliporeSigma

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Networking Break

Light refreshments and snacks will be provided.

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

SESSION 4: Creating Sustainable Chemistry Champions within Companies Across the Value Chain

Driving lasting change to safe and sustainable chemistry solutions requires their value to be understood throughout a company, including all levels and areas of expertise. In this session, we will discuss the needs, challenges, and soft skills necessary to build movement and create community in support of sustainable chemistry throughout a company and across. What tools, approaches, and support can enable champions to drive success?

5:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Dinner Reception at CAS

Join us for an evening reception at CAS, where you’ll enjoy light refreshments and great food, engaging conversation, and the opportunity to connect with colleagues in a relaxed setting.

Thursday, September 11

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM

Light Breakfast with Refreshments

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM

Keynote Address

PRESENTER: Michael Lefenfeld, President & CEO, Hexion

9:30 AM – 11:00 AM

SESSION 5: Changing the Nature of Policy to Drive Sustainable Chemistry

The policy landscape for sustainable chemistry in the US and Europe is rapidly changing with economic, competitiveness, and resilience concerns taking a stronger place in policy discussions. This session will share and build upon Change Chemistry's ongoing policy work and explore how we can continue to advance progress towards sustainable chemistry in an uncertain environment. We will explore the implications of current Federal activities on global sustainable chemistry initiatives including proactive mitigation measures for future success (include tariffs, deregulation, research/grant defunding, global collaboration, position/place States may play now). Where can we make the most progress? How will we frame sustainable chemistry in the changing policy landscape? 

MODERATOR: Joel Tickner, Strategic Advisor, Change Chemistry

PRESENTERS:

• Lauren Breynaert, Policy & Government Affairs Director, Tidal Vision

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Networking Break

Light refreshments and snacks will be provided.

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

SESSION 6: Molecular Accounting & Data Transparency: How to Measure so we can Manage

Despite state and European policy efforts and sectoral initiatives, chemical and ingredient data and transparency continues to be a massive challenge for firms across the value chain and a barrier to sustainable chemistry. The limited data hinders prioritization, evaluation of solutions, and understanding on the growth of safer and more sustainable chemistry. This challenge is becoming increasingly difficult because data on on upstream chemistry and end of life is needed to understand environmental justice, climate, and circularity impacts. What have we learned from successes to date? What is it going to take to finally address this challenge? What collaborations, policies, and incentives will be needed? What tools, datasets, and knowledge bases are available and most useful? What is the role of AI? 

MODERATOR: Jenny MacKellar, Program Director, Change Chemistry

PRESENTERS:

• Mike DeLee, Global Business Product Stewardship Director, Dow, Inc.
  
• Molly Strausbaugh, Director, CAS

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Lunch

2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

SESSION 7: Future Fit Materials - Addressing the Challenge 

Companies across the value chain are seeking safe, defossilized, sustainable, and circular chemistries for a range of functions and applications. These criteria need to be met while minimizing tradeoffs. In collaboration with Sustainable Brands, Change Chemistry has initiated a project aimed at innovating, identifying, and promoting the adoption of these "Future-Fit" materials, focusing primarily on polymers. What are the possibilities, implications, and challenges for these polymers, from the carbon feedstock through end of life considerations? What are the innovation, collaboration, and incentivization needs to drive scale?

MODERATOR: Rui Resendes, Director of Partnerships & Business Development, Change Chemistry

PRESENTERS:

• Todd Cline, Sr. Director Sustainability, North America Fabric Care, P&G
  
• Steve Evans, Research Fellow, BioMADE
  
• Michael Hershkowitz,  Director of Global Sustainability & Sustainable Innovation, IFF

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Closing Remarks & Adjourn